Penny Pairs is a jewelry brand co-founded by Camille Jimenez in 2018. It started as an online store, and grew into a business that has 6 physical locations including its newest branch in Alabang Town Center.

In an interview with Cathy Yang, Camille shared how the brand navigated challenges and leveraged opportunities to grow during pandemic.

“I think we got really lucky because we’re already online when the pandemic hit,” she said.

While their online presence was already established before the pandemic, their earrings became popular as Zoom meetings became the norm.

“The earrings were a perfect thing to make them feel a lot more confident even though they were just behind the screen,” Jimenez explained.

The company’s decision to open physical stores also played a significant role in its growth. According to the co-founder, long-term retail spaces offer better marketing value and allow for a more lasting presence.

“When we have the store, we make the effort to build it… If you have a physical store it’s something that’s more long-term,” she said.

Another topic discussed was the rising cost of raw materials.

According to Camille, Penny Pairs maintains its focus on quality and transparency with their customers.

“The price of gold and silver has gone up… but our customers understand why our prices have increased because they see the quality of the jewelry,” she noted.

This commitment to high-quality craftsmanship has helped sustain customer loyalty over time.

Apart from establishing physical stores, Penny Pairs also gained international recognition through partnerships with global brands like Mattel. Their collaboration on a Barbie-themed collection was a milestone for the Filipino brand.

“We weren’t sure if it was real… Everybody was so excited because Barbie was something we all grew up playing with,” Jimenez shared.

This surreal opportunity resonated deeply with their mostly women-led team and customer base.

As part of their efforts to celebrate Filipino talent, the jewelry brand highlights local designers and entrepreneurs during National Women’s Month. Sasa Jimenez, a designer, is among the featured figures.

“We wanted to feature for women’s month people in our community that have an impact… We wanted to be very authentic about the people we feature,” Camille said.

Reflecting on her journey as an entrepreneur, Camille Jimenez emphasized the importance of passion and dedication in building a business.

For her, “Finding what you’re really passionate about and being really into something that you’re doing” is the key.

Sources: (1)

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